1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of authentication and more particularly to accessing secured data on mobile devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable devices, such as laptop computers, are commonly used to transport confidential data through public places. Unfortunately, such devices are susceptible to being lost, stolen, or accessed by unauthorized individuals, for example. This can lead to such problems as the public disclosure of the confidential data, identity theft, the loss of trade secrets to competitors, as well as financial liability and damage to a brand's image in the marketplace.
One common approach to securing confidential data on mobile devices is the use of encryption. Encrypted data requires a key to be decrypted. However, in order to permit a user of the mobile device to access the confidential data at will, the key is stored on the mobile device, typically protected by a password. A smart criminal or a professional crime organization, for instance, can break such password protections and access first the key and then the data.